Heatstroke is a severe condition where the body cannot cool itself as it normally would, and is potentially fatal if untreated. It can also cause severe damage to the brain, heart, kidneys, and muscles.[1] Also known as sunstroke, it is most common in hot, humid climates, and is usually caused by a combination of dehydration and heavy exertion out in the sun. Although there are things you can do to begin treating heatstroke on your own, you should always rely on professional medical attention, even if the symptoms eventually seem to subside.

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Steps

Part 1 of 2: Preparing the Patient for Treatment

1

Make sure you're dealing with heatstroke by taking the patient’s temperature if you have a thermometer on hand. This will help you gauge how severe the situation is, and also will be useful information for the paramedics once they arrive if you have to call them. If you don’t have a thermometer, simply proceed to administering first aid.

If the patient's body temperature is 104 °F (40 °C) or higher, they are considered in heatstroke, but you should call the paramedics for any severe heat injury.

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2

Call the emergency services immediately if the patient’s has a fever of 102 °F (39 °C) or higher. Even if the temperature is slightly below the fever threshold, you might want to call an ambulance anyways, just to be safe.

If the ambulance dispatcher chooses to stay on the line with you and walk you through the steps you should be taking to treat the heatstroke patient, follow those steps instead of the ones in this article.

If the dispatcher does not have advice to give on how to treat the patient while you wait for the ambulance, then follow the remaining steps in this article.

Take the patient directly to the hospital if you are nearby. Sometimes it takes ambulances a little too long to dispatch, and heatstroke is a serious, time-sensitive medical crisis. If you are very close to a hospital, transport the patient yourself to save time.

3

Move the patient into an air-conditioned space and remove extraneous clothing while you wait for the paramedics to arrive. Raise the patient’s feet by about a foot either by propping them up on an object or having someone hold them up with their hands. This will help the body begin to regulate its temperature more normally.

If you are outdoors and there are no buildings nearby, move the patient to a shady spot under a tree.

You might lay the patient in the back seat of a car with the air conditioner on high.

Remove as much clothing as you can without causing a scene. It’s better to save a life while breaking some social norms than let a life slip through your fingers because you didn’t want to remove someone’s shirt.

Part 2 of 2: Cooling the Patient's Body Temperature

1

Apply water to the patient using a sopping wet sponge or cloth or with a garden hose. Do this without stopping until the paramedics arrive — don’t let the water dry off the patient’s skin. This will help bring the body’s core temperature down. Fan air over the wet skin throughout this procedure, as this will speed up the cooling process.

2

Apply ice packs to the patient’s body if you have any available. You want to place them in the armpits, and on the groin, neck, and back because the blood vessels are very close to the skin in these sensitive areas. Applying ice to these areas can help the body cool down more quickly.[2]

3

Place the patient in a cold shower or tub of cold water if you have a bathroom available. Don’t try to make them stand in the shower, though, as they may not be strong enough. Let them sit on the floor of the tub while cold water washes over them.

If you have a bathtub, add as much ice as you can find to the cold water.

4

Slow down the cooling process if the patient begins to shiver. Shivering is the body's natural method of heating itself up, which would be counterproductive under these circumstances. In this case, shivering means that you're cooling the body too quickly, so ease off a little bit until the shivering subsides and the cools at a more manageable rate.

5

Administer fluids if the patient is alert enough to swallow safely. Sports drinks are ideal because they are designed to treat dehydration, but if you don’t have a sports drink around, you can make an approximation with a saltwater solution that is a teaspoon of salt for every quart of water.[3] Have the patient drink about half a cup of the drink every 15 minutes.

Make sure that the person does not gulp down the water down too quickly. Tell them to drink it slowly.

Do not pour liquids into a patient’s mouth if they don’t seem alert enough to swallow. You might cause them to choke, adding another layer of danger to an already critical situation.

If you have neither sports drinks nor salted water, regular cool water will be fine.

Don’t offer the patient energy drinks or soft drinks. Caffeine disrupts the body’s ability to regulate its temperature, so these drinks will only make the situation worse.[4]

6

Give the paramedics a full report when they arrive. Tell them exactly what you have done to administer first aid thus far, and give them a detailed list of the patient’s symptoms. These symptoms might include:[5]

High body temperature

Confusion, slurred speech, or agitation

Nausea or vomiting

Flushed skin

Rapid, shallow breathing

Racing pulse

Headache

Change in sweating patterns. The skin might feel excessively moist or hot and dry, depending on what combination of factors caused the heatstroke.

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If a the person is complaining of being dizzy or lightheaded, get them to lay down immediately to prevent fainting.

Have the patient answer questions to keep them alert and prevent them from fainting. You can also gather useful information about how he or she is feeling from the patient's answers.

Write down the patient's symptoms, temperatures, and what you've done to administer first aid. You can hand this to the paramedics when they arrive so they immediately have all the information they need.

Warnings

Heatstroke is often the result of heat exhaustion. Use these treatments to cool the person down to a normal body temperature, and press that they should still be checked by a doctor.

React quickly when you notice a person with heatstroke, as they may not be entirely aware of what is going on.

Even if symptoms subside, that doesn't mean the patient is necessarily in the clear. Continue administering first aid until the paramedics arrive.

Always seek professional medical attention if you suspect heatstroke. Don't try to treat it on your own.

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